Small, cozy and stylish cafés always add to the beauty of a place and if the place is amidst the Himalayan mountains, who would not want to sip on some hot coffee and have some sizzling food. During my recent visit to Himachal Pradesh, I found out this little café in Old Manali called Café 1947 run by brothers Abhishek Sharma and Ankit Sharma from Shimla. The café started in 2010 and in a short span of time it has created a mark.
Here is why one should try the place when in Manali:
The food: Café 1947 offers Italian cuisine along with the routine alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages one would expect at such a place. We asked one of the waiters what was their best dish and he served us Ravioli which was by far one of the best versions of the dish I have had.
Owner speaks: According to Abhishek, Indian cuisine is something he and Ankit had been experimenting a lot with. When they started cooking professionally, they wanted to do something different. They wanted to bring the taste of wood fired oven in its most original form to Himachal Pradesh. The idea was to prepare the most authentic Italian food at a reasonable price which could only be done if it was a single cuisine café. Hence started the journey of bringing varied tastes from one of the most food crazy countries of the world.
Abhishek says “Cooking is an art. Art has to be filled with passion and love. You can always copy a recipe from a book. But it wont taste lovely until you cook with love.” No wonder the tagline of the café reads: ‘Eating is no choice but taste is.’
The Music: Live music is part of the café routine and every evening one can soak into various kinds of live performances. I was there for one of the live gigs and sang along to some famous rock creations.
Owner speaks: Interestingly, the place is also the jam room for the owners since they have always loved music and have been playing for their own band G.O.D. “So it was inevitable to not add music in anything what we do” says Abhishek.
The Ambiance: If you are a person who likes outdoor sitting, you might want to consider café 1947 to spend an evening. Sitting by the river Manalsu, one can choose to read a book or just slow down and feel the breeze getting colder as the evening unfolds. The indoor sitting has its own perks with small posters and lamps in galore, and of course the live music!
Owner speaks: “We wanted to make a place where we could work comfortably as we love to work long hours.” say Abhishek and Ankit. That is precisely why a great deal of attention has been paid to minute details.
The Staff: The people at the café complete the whole feel of warmth and hospitality. They are friendly, quick and know their food well enough to make good recommendations.
Owner Speaks: Abhishek says “Although Old Manali is a village and initially it was difficult to procure things and bring in internet connectivity, it is the people working here who made all the difference. Interestingly, Manali has always intrigued the outside world so there is hardly any bad business time. This makes hospitality industry one of the best choices of occupation for the locals and they are always happy to serve.”
There are several cafés in Old Manali where travelers can spend some memorable time amidst their busy schedule and Café 1947 is among the ones that must be tried out.
According to HolidayIQ, Café 1947 is one of the most iconic cafés in India that represent the café culture to its best, One can read about it here.
Travel and Serendipities 
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